You know, I've seen a lot of people walkin' 'round
With tombstones in their eyes
But the pusher don't care
Ah, if you live or if you die
- The Pusher, Steppenwolf
I strongly prefer to use the lyrics from the chorus, and I am singing these in my head as I write, but I don’t feel good about putting these in a post (or using these in the title). But you know the lyrics, or can click through to see what I mean.
We all have friends with these tombstone eyes; zombies ready to take in whatever the pusher has to offer. Two weeks to flatten the curve; wear a mask and you’ll be safe; stay six-feet apart, and the air will be clean (but not clean enough to go maskless); take the jab and you will be free; you need a booster; you may need five boosters a year. Our tombstone-zombie friends buy it all, and get angry with you because you don’t.
We know all about the CIA and military, Afghanistan and opium,
the Mexican drug trade, etc. We know whose
fingerprints are on all of these, and we know the result. This isn’t enough. Now a senile and demented president (well,
they are all demented) wants to force you to get hooked on a drug that will
require you to take hits for the rest of your life. The same actors are bringing the drug war home.
Oh but the pusher is a monster
Good God, he's not a natural man
The pusher offers the kids a free taste, just to get them hooked. Once hooked, the pusher has a customer for life.
For the modern pusher…yes, they offered the taste for free. But this wasn’t enough. They offered us food, drinks, lotteries, money. They offered us many freebies as a bribe. Seed money for the future harvest – a customer for life. Well, for as long as you have a life.
Now they are giving you a choice: accept the pusher man’s offer, or lose your job and watch your family starve.
Well, now if I were the president of this land
You know, I'd declare total war on The Pusher man
That’s funny, given today’s reality.
I'd cut him if he stands, and I'd shoot him if he'd run
Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun
Sorry, buddy. It hasn’t worked out this way.
Epilogue: remember, today is the day we commemorate how they hate us for our freedom.
I'm embarrassed to have to admit I had pretty much forgotten the song. It's frightening how we have been warned from so many diverse sources. Yet, here we are.
ReplyDeleteI'm embarrassed to admit I remember. The masterstroke of "music" like Steppenwolf's was okay messages via mocking lyrics that literally pounded blasphemy and immorality many brains. Also mocking messages via mocking lyrics. "Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun...". Razor? check; gun? check; Bible? With all those "dangs" sung not so euphemistically, I doubt it. The enemy is a clever one and is everywhere (1st Peter 5:8).
DeleteBionic said, regarding the lyrics, "I don’t feel good about putting these in a post (or using these in the title)." Bionic, did you hear the one about the man who went to the doctor and said, "Doctor, it hurts when I do that." (Moves arm) and the doctor said, "Don't do it then."?
Yes, I have heard that one. And Jesus said just thinking the thought makes me guilty of doing it. So there you have it.
DeleteMan, this takes me back. I have to admit the first thing that popped into my mind when I started reading this were the lines of the chorus, which I will not repeat here.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to argue that America is not a nation of addicts, hooked on a life of ease, convenience, and keeping up with the Joneses. We have become so accustomed to that lifestyle that we can no longer be weaned away from it, but will have to go cold turkey, with no one there to hold our hands while we go through the withdrawal symptoms.
Yes indeed. We are addicts of unearned comfort. I prefer the Southern rock song by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "simple man".
DeleteYes all so true as we look at our government, opium wars and still, our British overlords.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think of Steppenwolf as part of the British invasion via Canada. I prefer to remember southern rock and a song called, Simpleman, by Lynyrd Skynyrd.. I also think that their plane crash was no accident..